Aston Villa have announced that the club have reached an agreement with Sevilla over an initial loan move for defender Ludwig Augustinsson.
Villa have been active this summer in trying to strengthen Steven Gerrard’s squad, with Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos and Robin Olsen all being signed.
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While more is still expected between now and the end of the transfer window, our fifth signing is edging closer as the club confirmed in an official statement that a deal has been agreed with Sevilla for Augustinsson.
The 28-year-old Swedish international will join on a season-long loan deal, while the move is still subject to him obtaining a work permit and agreeing on personal terms.
Given Villa’s statement though, the expectation now is that the move will go through, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the fee to sign Augustinsson outright, should Villa decide they wish to exercise our option at the end of the season, will make the deal worth around €4.5m in total.
It’s another smart signing from Villa as we add depth at left-back behind Lucas Digne, giving Gerrard another natural option in that role while Ashley Young could also cover there if needed.
Time will tell what that means for youngster Ben Chrisene, as adding further competition for places would suggest that Villa plan to loan him out and allow him to gain valuable experience and playing time rather than be stuck on the bench, and so the pieces could be falling into place relatively soon in that department.
For now, Augustinsson is a solid addition to the squad who adds many similar attributes as Digne with his ability to push forward and attack down the left flank, combined with an aggressive and physical style of defending, and so the Swedish defender should fit in well when called into action.